Grant and Sherman: The Friendship that Won the Civil War
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Sherman’s role appears at first to be the more dramatic and visionary half of the Grant-and-Sherman story. Coming into his own at Shiloh after earlier failure and headlines saying “General William T. Sherman Insane,” his strategic vision not only led to his epic marches through the South but also ushered in a new era of modern warfare in which the destruction of the enemy population’s will to resist can be as important as the defeat of its armies in the field. What is less obvious but exciting to watch is Grant’s movement up the chain of command, proving himself equal to one extraordinary challenge after another. Grant was intuitively aggressive and instinctively tenacious. At Vicksburg, in saving the situation at Chattanooga, and in his risky clandestine change of front against Lee after Cold Harbor, Grant demonstrated that he too could be imaginative and bold. Beyond this, while Sherman had only his own armies to think of, as commander of the entire Union Army Grant proved to be a superb administrator who saw the overall picture of the war with a vision at least as clear as Sherman’s.
What drew the two men together as friends? Each needed a military colleague whom he could admire and trust, and each wanted the other’s warm approval. Grant had the love of Julia but yearned for affection from a flinty father who tried to turn a financial profit from his son’s military position. Sherman had what a later generation would call a “support system”—his wife, Ellen, his brother Senator John Sherman, his prominent father-in-law, Thomas Ewing, who became increasingly appreciative of his achievements as the war progressed—but underneath there was the once-insecure boy whose father had died when he was nine, at which time he and his ten brothers and sisters had been split up among a number of households.
Sherman was right when he said of himself and Grant, “We were as brothers.” They did the things that devoted brothers do: back each other up, help each other out, sacrifice for the other. It was Sherman, standing to gain if Grant resigned from the army, who talked him out of going home when Halleck sidelined him after Shiloh; it was Sherman who told Grant to go ahead and send him into action at Hayne’s Bluff above Vicksburg, a move likely to hurt Sherman’s reputation but one that might help the Vickbsurg campaign as a whole; it was Grant’s steadfast support that led Sherman to say after Vicksburg, “I knew wherever I was that you thought of me, and that if I got in a tight place you would come if alive.”
Grant worked to ensure that Sherman received his richly deserved promotions. When Sherman’s brilliant victories in the South caused a bill to be introduced in Congress to give him a promotion making him eligible to rise to the supreme command above the beleaguered Grant, he wrote a letter to his senator brother urging that the effort be stopped. As the war came to a close, after Sherman had concluded the surrender agreement with Joseph E. Johnston that some in Washington found so generous as to be the act of a traitor, Grant arrived in North Carolina and swiftly and tactfully rectified a situation that could have ended Sherman’s career at the height of his fame.
Grant thought that Sherman was entertaining, and thoroughly enjoyed his company; when they were together, Grant, usually reserved in manner, relaxed as he did with no other officer. Sherman was often baffled by the depths from which Grant pulled forth his successful military movements, but he came to see that Grant was a master of what he did. Each saw in the other a friendly, trusted partner who quickly grasped the other’s ideas and made it possible to implement them for their mutual benefit and for the success of the cause to which they were dedicated. Each saw a man who wanted victory far more than he wanted promotion or fame; each saw a soldier’s soldier. Whether they were campaigning together, or communicating by letter and telegraph at times when their headquarters were several hundred miles apart, each knew that the other made him more than what he was before they met.
NOTES
In citing works in the notes, short titles have generally been used. Works frequently cited have been identified by the following abbreviations. The full citation appears in the bibliography, under the name of the author or editor.
GMS Ulysses S. Grant, Memoirs and Selected Letters
JDG John Y. Simon, ed., The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant
LL Lloyd Lewis, Sherman: Fighting Prophet
M John F. Marszalek, Sherman: A Soldier’s Passion for Order
PUSG John Y. Simon, ed., The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant
SCW Brooks D. Simpson and Jean V. Berlin, eds., Sherman’s Civil War: Selected Correspondence of William T. Sherman, 1860-1865
SG Jean Edward Smith, Grant.
SM William Tecumseh Sherman, Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman
PROLOGUE
“put the river” SG, 200.
“Well, Grant” Ibid., 201.
“The South never smiled” Brooks, Grant, 144.
“plain as an old stove” Garland, Grant, 229.
“He is never quiet” Kennett, Sherman, 99.
“as if he had determined” SG, 300.
“When Grant once” Porter, Campaigning, 223.
“In a moment” Ibid., 417.
1. TWO FAILED MEN WITH GREAT POTENTIAL
“In my new employment” PUSG, I: 359. Grant’s letter of resignation, April 11, 1854, PUSG, I: 329-32. Lewis, Captain Sam Grant, 329, sets forth circumstances of the resignation. Also see SG, 87.
“Every day I like” PUSG, I: 334.
Grant’s financial situation SG, 91.
“Why, Grant” Lewis, Captain Sam Grant, 346.
“Great God, Grant” SG, 91.
The pawn ticket PUSG, I: 339. The ticket also appears among this book’s illustrations.
Crop freeze SG, 92.
“Julia and I” PUSG, I: 343.
“shabbily dressed” SG, 95.
“Grant was” Lewis, Captain Sam Grant, 377.
“I rarely read over” GMS, 39.
Jack Lindsay incident Fleming, West Point, 102.
“His hair was” SG, 26.
“the class, still mounted” Garland, Grant, 52.
“The farm of White Haven” Casey, “When Grant Went …” All quotations from Emma Dent Casey are from this recollection.
“That young man” Lewis, Captain Sam Grant, 110.
“a darling little lieutenant” Ulysses S. Grant Homepage, citing www.mscomm.com/~ulysses/page181.html.
“he was kind enough” JDG, 48.
“Saturday came” Ibid., 49.
“serious the matter with me” GMS, 37.
“On this occasion” Ibid., 38.
“We all enjoyed” Casey.
“I noticed, too” Ross, The General’s Wife, 25, citing Laddies’ Home Journal, October 1890.
“Before I returned” GMS, 39.
“In the thickest” PUSG, I: 86.
“I crossed at such” GMS, 81.
“I never went” Lewis, Captain Sam Grant, 249.
“You could not keep him” Garland, Grant, 100.
“the first two persons” Lewis, Captain Sam Grant, 251.
“found a church” GMS, 106.
“The shots from” Ibid., 109.
“every shot was” Ibid.
“I could not tell” Ibid.
“astonishing victories … frightful” PUSG, I: 146.
“one of the most” GMS, 41.
“the very best soldier” Freeman, Lee, I: 284.
“There’s no danger!” Lewis, Captain, Sam Grant, 245.
“was more bronzed” Casey.
“one of those beautiful … hand to glove” Ulysses S. Grant Homepage, interview, Julia Dent Grant, www.mscomm.com/~ulysses/page181.html.
“I enjoyed sitting” JDG, 56.
“a man of iron” Garland, Grant, 122.
“He seemed always to be sad” Ibid.
“a mail came in” PUSG, I: 320.
“He was in the habit” Lewis, Captain Sam Grant, 324.
“sprees” Ibid., 319.
Grant’s resignation PUSG, I: 329-32; also see Lewis, Captain, Sam Grant, 329, and SG, 87.
“I peeped at him” Bleser, I
ntimate Strategies, 138.
“I remember seeing” SG, 25.
“These brilliant scenes” Howe, Home Letters, 107.
“I have felt tempted” Ibid., 116.
“What is that?” M, 68.
“peculiarly bad luck” Ibid., 79.
“firmly in the main” Howe, Home Letters, 20.
“a terrible Civil War” M, 78.
“protector” Bleser, Intimate Strategies, 141.
“This is too bad” Kennett, Sherman, 57.
“covered with sand” SM, 120.
“a cry about Minnie” Kennett, Sherman, 72.
“I would rather live” and “I would rather be” Bleser, Intimate Strategies, 144.
“For the past seven months” Kennett, Sherman, 74.
“Cump rubbed me” Ibid.
“Cump & I” Ibid.
“I have bet” SCW, 563.
“sent jellycake,” “Archbishop called,” and “Prayed for the conversion” Kennett, Sherman, 72.
“no symptoms of dishonesty” Clarke, Sherman, 69.
“In giving his instructions” Merrill, Sherman, 103.
“depression” Clarke, Sherman, 66.
“Knowing insanity” Ellen Sherman to John Sherman, November 10, 1861, William T. Shennan Papers, Library of Congress. Various printed sources give different versions of the words between “Cump” and “once in California.” I believe that a photostat of the original reads as, “in the verge of it.” See also SCW, 155-56, which renders this as, “in the seize of it.”
“No doubt you are glad” Bleser, Intimate Strategies, 145.
“that West Point” M, 114.
“I look upon myself” Ibid., 119.
Sherman’s experience in this post in Louisiana is treated in Walter Fleming, Sherman as College President.
“I have heard men of good sense” Howe, Home Letters, 163.
“You mistake, too” LL, 138.
“It is hard to realize” PUSG, I: 359.
“You are driving me” M, 137.
“You are all in here” Ibid., 139.
“whom I remember” Fellman, Citizen Sherman, 88.
2. GRANT AWAKENS
“take command of the army to be brought into the field” Freeman, Lee, I: 633-36. I interpret this to mean that, with the aged and infirm Winfield Scott, who was soon to retire, being in no condition to lead the Union Army, Lee would take field command and become general in chief upon Scott’s retirement.
“I can anticipate” Ibid., 420.
“I could take no part” Ibid., 437.
“Civil War has only horror” Heidler, Encyclopedia, II: 568.
“I never went into” SG, 89.
“having been educated” PUSG, II: 6.
“Julia takes” Ibid., 22.
“Oh! how intensely” JDG, 87.
“I remember now” Ibid.
“fell in behind” Garland, Grant, 160.
“I might have got” PUSG, II: 21.
“at a little square table” and “one suit” McFeely, Grant, 74.
“I thought he was the man” and “McClellan never” SG, 107.
“got on one of his little sprees” Ibid., 83.
“I’ve tried” Garland, Grant, 168.
“[We] saw that” SG, 105.
Simon S. Goode Garland, Grant, 165-66.
“there wasn’t a chicken” Ibid., 108.
“preferably Captain Grant” SG, 107.
“was dressed very clumsily” Ibid., 108.
“What a colonel!” Lewis, Captain Sam Grant, 427.
“What do they mean by” and “Rustic jokes” Garland, Grant, 173.
“Mexico” incident Woodward, Grant, 54.
“Howdy, Colonel?” Fuller, Grant and Lee, 71.
Orders No. 8 PUSG, II: 46.
“unostentatious” through “manner” SG, 110.
Orders No. 14 PUSG, II: 48.
“Alexander was not older” JDG, 92.
“Your Dodo” letter PUSG, II: 50. .
“They entered” GMS, 246.
“My own opinion” PUSG, II: 21.
“This is an infantry” SG, 111.
“Fred enjoys it” PUSG, II: 59.
3. SHERMAN GOES IN
Meeting with Lincoln SM, 185-86.
“I shall, to the extent” Lincoln, Speeches and Writings, 231.
“so as to be independent” SCW, 88.
“I am convinced” Kennett, Sherman, 114.
“Of course I could no longer defer” SM, 192.
“tall gaunt form” and descriptions of Sherman’s face and hat M, 147.
“volunteers called by courtesy” SCW, 127.
Letter of July 16 Ibid., 117-18.
“The march” SM, 198.
“As soon as real war” SCW, 98.
“On to Richmond!” Trefousse, Radical Republicans, 174.
Bettie Duvall and intelligence sources Leech, Reveille, 95-96.
“for the first time” SCW, 124.
“Up to that time” SM, 202.
“there stands Jackson” Roland, Iliad, 52.
“After I had” SM, 205.
“We could see” Johnston, Him on the One Side, 34.
“There was no positive” SM, 203.
“Shameless flight” and “seen the confusion” Ibid., 124-25.
“Though the North” SM, 199.
“were so mutinous” Ibid., 207.
“one of the … best” Ibid.
“We were all trembling” Ibid., 209.
“Some young officer” Ibid.
“offered the command” Ibid., 210.
“In this interview” Ibid.
“nearly all unfriendly” Kennett, Sherman, 132.
Figures of opposing forces LL, 122.
“I’m afraid” SCW, 143.
“I don’t think” Ibid., 145.
“said he could not” SM, 216.
“to meddle as little” SCW, 127.
“My own belief” Ibid., 146.
“I am sorry” Ibid., 150.
“Do write me” and “How any body” SCW, 148nl, 147.
“our Gun Boat Fleet” PUSG, III: 36.
“You ask if” Ibid., II: 67.
“some of Washburne’s work” SG, 113.
“I could not discover” SCW, 138.
“He usually wore” SG, 119.
“almost untenable” Woodward, Grant, 190.
General Orders No. 5 PUSG, II: 207.
“I have nothing to do with” Ibid., 194.
“Steamers … prizes” Ibid., 262.
“required here” Ibid., 218.
“Remember me” Ibid., 148-49.
“Woods should not” SCW, 145.
“old Baron Steinberger” and “had drawn to St. Louis” SM, 214.
“Now we’ll have news” Davis, Sherman’s March, 140.
description of the meeting in Louisville SM, 218-20.
“absolutely crazy” Merrill, Sherman, 176.
“promptly replied” Kennett, Sherman, 140.
“riding a whirlwind” and “the idea” SCW, 154.
“Sherman’s gone in the head” M, 163.
“Send Mrs. Sherman” SCW, 156n.
“in a great, barnlike” Kennett, Sherman, 141.
“of such nervousness” M, 164.
“General Halleck is satisfied” Fellman, Sherman, 100.
“completely ‘stampeded’” M, 164.
“acted insane” Ibid., 167.
“I would like” PUSG, II: 300.
“Veterans could not” GMS, 179.
“The alarm ‘surrounded’ was given” Ibid., 180.
“I saw a body” Ibid., 183.
“There is a Yankee” Ibid., 185.
“I was the only man” Ibid., 184.
Confederate musket ball Woodward, Grant, 211.
“the enemies [sic] loss” PUSG, III: 129. This report was written by Captain William S. Hillyer of Grant’s staff.
“The General Comdg.” Ibid., 130.
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br /> Quotations from New York Herald and New York Times SG, 131.
“whose disorders” Hirshson, White Tecumseh, 103.
“it seemed to affect him Kennett, Sherman, 144.
“then came telegraphic” Hirshson, White Tecumseh, 103.
“well convinced” and “the President evinced” Ibid.
GENERAL WILLIAM T. SHERMAN INSANE LL, 201.
“Nature will paint” Hirshson, White Tecumseh, 201.
“Sir” SCW, 161.
“distressed almost to death” Kennett, Sherman, 141.
“I feel desolate” and “So now my dearest” Hirshson, White Tecumseh, 105.
“true lawyer-like ambiguity” LL, 205.
“Mr. Lincoln, Dear Sir” Ibid.
“seemed very anxious” Hirshson, White Tecumseh, 109.
“Dearest Ellen” SCW, 173.
“I am so sensible” Ibid., 174.
“Do you know who I am?” M, 168.
President’s General War Order No. 1 SG, 139.
“was cut short” GMS, 190.
“Make your preparations” Ibid., 140.
4. GRANT MOVES FORWARD, WITH SHERMAN IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
“If you can reinforce” SG, 154.
“The sight of our camp fires” PUSG, IV: 153.
“It must be victory or death” SG, 146.
“a modest, amiable” Ibid., 147-48.
“[A Union] officer came in” Ibid.
“a few more” Ibid.
“I felt that” Ibid., 153.
“You have no conception” PUSG, IV: 180.
“I will let him” Ibid., 188.
“did not approve” GMS, 197.
“I had no idea” and “I met Captain Hillyer” GMS, 204.
Grant’s quotations from his initial appearance on the battlefield Ibid., 204-206.
“No flinching now” Ibid., 159-60.
“General Smith” Ibid.
Nathan Bedford Forrest Brooks, Grant, 118.
“the appointment of Commissioners” PUSG, IV: 218.
“No terms except” Ibid.